Punjab floods: Death toll rises to 46, over 1.5 lakh people affected; PM Narendra Modi to visit state on Tuesday

NEW DELHI: Punjab continues to reel under severe flooding, with three more deaths reported in the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 46.

An additional 48 villages are under threat and damage to crops has increased marginally, officials said on Saturday.




1,998 villages across 23 districts affected

The floods have affected 1,998 villages across 23 districts, with Gurdaspur among the hardest-hit.

In Gurdaspur alone, 329 villages have been inundated, impacting around 1.45 lakh residents.

Other severely affected areas include Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka.

Losses to crops have been significant, with 17,445 hectares (4.36 lakh acres) affected, peaking at over 40,169 hectares (over 1 lakh acres) in Gurdaspur.

Officials are yet to fully assess livestock and infrastructure damage.

PM Modi likely to visit on September 9

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Punjab on September 9, to review the flood situation.

'Worst in 50 years'

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday termed the recent floods the state’s worst in 50 years.

He said nearly 2,000 villages were affected, more than 4 lakh people impacted, and 43 lives lost across 14 districts.

The agricultural sector has been hit particularly hard, with 1.72 lakh hectares of farmland damaged. Infrastructure, homes, and livestock have also suffered significant losses. The Ghaggar river crossed its danger mark of 750 feet.

Cheema said the state government had mounted a swift and coordinated response. Over 22,000 people have been evacuated, while around 7,000 displaced individuals are being sheltered in 200 relief camps.

Relief operations are being carried out with support from 24 NDRF teams, two SDRF teams, 144 boats, and a government helicopter.

The Punjab government has released Rs 71 crore for immediate relief. Cabinet members, MLAs, and MPs have pledged one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, while the excise and taxation department contributed Rs 50 lakh.

Waive all loans of farmers: SAD

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, visiting flood-affected areas along the River Ravi, urged the government to waive all loans of farmers and farm labourers in the affected areas.

He also called for immediate compensation for crop and property losses and promised to assist in clearing sand and reinforcing bunds once the waters recede.

“The inundation of lakhs of acres of land and the large-scale destruction of standing crops make this a fit case for loan waiver,” he said, adding that all bank and cooperative society loans for flood-affected farmers and ‘khet mazdoor’ should be immediately written off.